Well the summer is wearing on and I'm starting to get bored with fishing (well not so much the fishing as dealing with the amount of recreational traffic on area lakes), so I'm kicking the idea around of doing a little turkey scouting for this fall. The season over in WI opens in 7 weeks, so it isn't all that far off. I'm wondering if it would be worth my effort to get out at sunrise tomorrow and look for some roosts? I'm assuming adults are talkative on the roost year round, but would poults be making much noise this early? Also, is there much of a chance that locations holding birds now will still be occupied come mid September? Oh well, I might go regardless just to scratch the itch so to speak. Would love to hear some of the scouting regimes employed by you more experienced fall hunters.

Fishing is grossly overrated. It is never too early to scout or spend time in the woods. So go for it. If you had gone out last weekend you might have met Vic, we were checking out some of our common areas.

Gopherlongbeards wrote: would poults be making much noise this early?

The turkeys are talkative all summer. If you have good wingbone take it with you. A lot of the poults will make peep y kee kees, brood hens will kee, yelp, yelp, yelp...... And sometimes a tom will gobble. Some of the early born jakes are in their own gangs sparring and making those half gobbles.

Gopherlongbeards wrote:sunrise tomorrow and look for some roosts?

Sunrises are beautiful and you might get lucky and find a roost. But rarely do they use the same tree this time of year.

Gopherlongbeards wrote: locations holding birds now will still be occupied come mid September?

Maybe, maybe not depends on the turkeys.

Gopherlongbeards wrote:Would love to hear some of the scouting regimes employed by you more experienced fall hunters.

Right now I love to find turkeys and usually do, most of the time they are not in the same places by season opener. What I look for and make notes of:What crops are planted and where, is manure spread on any of the hay fields or harvested grain fields. What grains were harvested. Are the oaks, particularly the burrs going to have a good mast. Any hickory, bitter nuts or hazel nuts. Any soft mast in the area, dogwoods, grapes, plums, crab apples, elderberries, cranberries, rose hips etc. This tells me where turkeys are likely to be later in the season.Look for open woodlots, especially those with trees that have large lateral branches that clear for fly ups. Dusting bowls and exposed gravel areas. If you are hunting any MFL has a cutting been done, if so, hunt these in the winter season. What kind of grasses are seeding and types of weeds and stickers; I'm not and expert on these but I do recognize those found in previously killed turkey crops. Have fun.

later, charlie If you agree with me call it fact; if you disagree - call it my opinion. After all - we are talking turkey.

I'm always making mental notes of where I see birds. Brood groups you see now will not be too far away come season. I heard hens and poults calling to each other while I was picking blackberries about three weeks ago. Just this morning there were three hens and nine poults in my garden. The deer get run out of the garden but i just sat and watched the turkeys scratch things up, they can have what they want. I was surprised how big the poults were. some were 2/3 adult size, had to be a pretty early hatch. They were not talking much this morning, but i heard them yakking it up about a week ago behind the house. so I'd say scouting some areas now will give you some good intel.

Well did some walking around a couple properties this morning. No birds seen or heard, but did see a little sign, mostly tracks and a feather or two. Was able to find where most of the oaks were, some were starting to get pretty loaded with acorns, some were bare. Corn and beans looked to be in pretty good shape everywhere I saw, that stretch of dry weather doesn't seem to have hurt the crops much around here. Saw a group of 4 gobblers hanging around a cattle feeder in a pasture near one of the properties I was on, I think a little door knocking may be in order next time I'm in the area.

I like to scout closer to the season, are cut, corn is being cut and when the mast crop falls, that is a great time to scout. Fall patterns are dictated on food sources and where there is a good source, there will be turkey's there!